We are installing a piece on Belle Isle’s Beach near the old water-slide, where you can take in the skyline of Detroit while dipping your toes in the water. On all of Belle Isle this area is definitely the most hoppin’ in the summer…except of course where the donks of Detroit are parked.

The piece will incorporate the themes of summer, sun and wind. By taking pieces of fabric, hand dying them with a color gradient and stringing them through the trees along the beach we hope to give Belle Islanders a fun piece of summer to enjoy. There is going to be over 135 feet of cutting, dying, sewing and tying in the next month so stay posted.

Our intial sketches that we sent with our proposal (details/length of installation has changed):

Someone’s been drawing on chalkboard lately and it’s been a nice break from the computer, that’s for sure. There’s an immediate satisfication in making type instead of pushing it across the screen. My Aquarium piece has also been selected to be showcased at the Belle Isle Aquarium which is pretty cool. They are looking for work to be put into the tanks to be displayed during the Grand Prix on June 1-3.  So if you have any artwork you want to show, hurry up and send an email to BelleIsleAquarium@live.com!

See below for more chalk…

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CCDC had the awesome opportunity to be featured on WJR’s radio show “Destination 313″ hosted by Paul W. Smith and Stephen Piazza.

The show is dedicated to showcasing Detroit‘s jewels and improving the region through thoughtful conversations with those committed to seeing Detroit‘s revitalization. The show features business leaders, community advocates and everyday citizens who are enthusiastic and passionate for taking the lead in our city’s transformation.

Listen here to hear Katie, Matt & Nathan talk on the show!

With things moving at such a rapid pace, the studio is really beginning to take shape. We have a lot of things in store for this summer and so we’ll be launching a CCDC Newsletter, called “Eat More Cake” to keep all of our followers informed. We are working on getting a sign up form up on the site shortly, so keep a watch out for that!

♥ CCDC kids

The wood shop has been full of activity this week. Carter has made a beautiful table for Danielle’s letterpress studio and the wood shop finally has a chop saw to boast. Also – check out Danielle laying down type.

This Thursday (4.12) we will be having an Open House for anyone that wants to stop by and hang out with us, see the space, or make something! Email us at info@chocolatecakedesigncollective.org if you have any questions or want to tell us you’re dropping by.

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Last month CCDC was approached by Nathan Skid of Detroit Make It Here, a subsidiary of Crain’s Detroit Business that focuses on informing and uniting the creative and entrepreurial community in Detroit. Check out the article and video that they made about us! Thanks for spreading our story guys.

Produced by: Nathan Skid
Shot and Edited by: Andrew Templeton

The CCDC Letterpress Studio is beginning to take shape with Danielle moving and shaking to get a great deal on some equipment. She teamed up with the folks at Signal-Return to split a letterpress studio in the basement of a house in Eastpointe. The move took two days, a cargo van (3 van fulls), a truck and 4 volunteers.

The next few weeks you will be seeing more updates on the evolution on the CCDC Letterpress Studio and all of the other studios as the warm weather is approaching and the kids are getting their momentum back!

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Happy New Year!

2012 is here folks and there’s a lot in store for the Collective. Aside from more renovating and building up of our space, we plan on more production and collaboration. It’s about time we use the space for what it’s intended for — making stuff! There is a big move happening to the downstairs space of the Toys Warehouse due to a leaky roof that is posing too many risks for our equipment. More updates on that coming soon. In the meantime, check out the pics of some of the projects that happened at the studio before the holidays went down. A beautiful table was made by Carter, Katie, Matt & Charlie and the walls for the dark room were prepped for installation.

Be sure to get your Cake fix and check out our blog for all the new happenings that will be going down this year.

Cheers!

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The CCDC kids gathered at the Squirrel Shark House (their second home base) on Sunday with an assortment of fine foods and beverages lit by the soothing flicker of tealight candles. The guys tamed their beards and combed their hair and the ladies were looking beautiful, as they always do. It was a classy affair for classy people. With handmade goods adorning the freshly cut wooden table made by the kids themselves, the atmosphere was set with warmth, comfort, and a sense of appreciation for one another.

‘Tis the season to be jolly, and the CCDC kids have plenty to be jolly about this holiday season. With a year full of firsts, learning curves, and challenges we are all proud of what we have accomplished in this short amount of time. We can only have high hopes for all of the endeavors to be pursued in the upcoming year.

Thank you to everyone who has supported us in our dream this year.

Happy Holidays!

✌☺✯❄❆❅

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